BLESS continues to be concerned over the lack of adequate pedestrian access to LHCPP through the long-established pedestrian corridor in South Riel at Levasseur Drive. As the volunteer steward for LHCPP under the Alberta Community Development Parks and Protected Areas Steward program, we believe continued pedestrian access, either temporary or permanent, at this location is warranted and should be maintained.

Pedestrians have continued de facto use of this access point to LHCPP during current road construction activities, despite measures taken by the City of St. Albert to prevent access. The trail that begins at Levasseur has provided direct and convenient access for pedestrians to the viewing platform on Big Lake for decades and will continue to be heavily used in future. Once traffic commences on the new road, the risk of pedestrian/vehicle collisions in this area will pose a very serious safety hazard if some form of controlled crossing for pedestrians is not provided.

The viewing platform is currently the easiest and most beneficial location for Albertans to access the new park. The area of the lake where the platform is situated is believed to be subject to groundwater upwelling which invariably produces the first open water on Big Lake in the spring and the last open water before freeze-up in the fall. Because of this, the area of Big Lake directly off the platform is heavily used by staging, resting and feeding waterfowl at both times of year making it an ideal site for observing migratory birds. The viewing platform is a significant, well-used feature of LHCPP; convenient year-round access to it should continue to be provided.

The City of St. Albert has cited provincial concerns as the reason for not providing a temporary surface pedestrian crossing when the WRR opens to traffic this fall. In light of correspondence we have received from the Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation, and discussions from September 29th when BLESS directors Bob Russell, Stuart Loomis and Dave Burkhart met with local MLA Doug Horner, it appears there are no provincial government concerns that would preclude a temporary pedestrian crossing of the WRR at Levasseur Drive.

BLESS directors Dave Burkhart and John Samson met in early October with Mayor Chalifoux and senior officials with the City to discuss this item. Mayor Chalifoux promised to meet with Minister Horner to verify the province had no concerns with a temporary pedestrian crossing on the West Regional Road. In a letter to Mr. Horner copied to BLESS, Mayor Chalifoux recognized the concerns about pedestrian access across the road but indicated planning for adequate pedestrian access to Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park would not occur until a master plan for the provincial park and the city's Riel South Area Structure Plan were undertaken.

On November 30th, BLESS released a press release that continued to outline our concerns over inadequate public access to Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park caused by the City of St. Albert's West Regional Road.